This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi list !
Our own Linda Taylor just left our place and competed in her first CDE in CA. From someone who cant find their way out of a paper bag, Im personally in awe of Linda and her Fjord mare, Sigrid, ( Fatty Boomba ) for even trying it. Here is her details for us about her adventure. Congrats to Linda and Boomba on a good showing and also being a great representitive for the Fjord breed ! Lisa ***************************************************************************** * **** Hi folks, Here's the report of Boombah and my first real bigtime ADS CDE, Trinity at Hayfork, Ca. Thursday AM: I loaded up and left Thursday at 845A and drove to Hayfork (about 2 hours west of Redding on very windy road). Didn't convoy with anyone. Too many problems there. If I want to do something, I need to just do it, which I eventually did. Took about five hours and stopped every two hours for BB to have a bit of a rest and a potty break for me. I staying in my trailer and it was very pleasant. Bart connected my new Honda EU 3000si generator in the pickup and that was great. I was quite a ways from the barn where BB had a nice shaded paddock but the walk was good for me. It was pleasant weather, not too hot. And quite cool at night. The porta potties were conveniently located and there was a nice wine and cheese gathering Th nite under a lovely Oak tree at the Schumaker's home on a hill overlooking the barn and the area where all the trailers were parked. After the wine and cheese, I was able to check out the hazzards with Pat Schumaker in a golf cart which was great. Friday AM I was Dressage early and completed Test 3 Training but not as accurately as Lisa Singer would have liked. She did, however, give me an 8 in one of the working walk and walk on long rein (thank you Lisa and Jeff for giving me the magic words for encouraging BB to walk out). Our dressage is indeed a work in progress but I am dedicating myself and BB to the journey. I was pleased that Lisa Singer gave me an 8 for Driver. So there were so positives in the dressage even if we were 6 out of 7. In the PM, I rested for a time in my trailer with the air conditioning on. Wow. The generator and AC were well worth the money. But then after the Fri nit dinner which was OK, not great, at the nearby fairgrounds, I went back to see BB again before going to bed and she was lying down. Unusual for her. Anyway, she got up and then I went down a couple of paddocks to see the Schumaker's Fjords, and when I returned, she was down again. And then she rolled around and put her nose on her tummy. People were gathering around and there was much discussion as to what to do. Valerie suspected she probably had a tummyache, a mild colicy condition and suggested Ben something, can't remember the name. Some folks said get a vet and I tried but no vet available. This is a rather isolated location. Anyway, Nona Bales and JoJo (who organized the event) took her in the barn and checked her out, stethescope and temp, and Nona gave her the Ben something paste and we just waited. When I came down to the barn around 2A, she was standing up and seemed normal. Anyway, in the morning, the vet was there for the Marathon and we had an early go and he checked her out and pronounced her fit so I heaved a big sigh of relief. (Valerie and I think she may have eaten some of the shaving they provided for the paddocks.) Howard Leal kindly gatored for me and we had been able to go to the hazzards on Friday when he and Ginny arrived so we were the blind leading the blind but were as prepared as we could be. I had heard that Trinity was very hilly and I thot that BB would not make it in the A Section of the marathon, not to mention the E Section. But surprise, she was a little trouper and the hills were not that bad and we finished Section A (4.7 K as I remember) in allowed time. Then the Vet check which she passed with flying colors. And on to Section D, 12 minutes of walking, which we completed in allowed time also. Then another vet check followed by Section E which included the hazzards. We did the whole E I managed several Driver Errors in the hazzards even tho I thot I knew where to go. We came in 3 plus minutes over and were penalized 102.8, seems like it should have been around 50 pts but I didn't question it, just signed it as it all happened so quickly. Anyway, the good news is that we actually did the WHOLE marathon and I was certain before I every left Nevada County, that we would have to retire early. Next time, BB will be conditioned and we won't be over and maybe my brain will function better and we will do the hazzards in better time. No penalities there, just wasted time. And after E, Vet check found her quite sound again. What a clever little girl. Sat nite was the Competitor's dinner at the fairgrounds and we had very good BBQ ribs. Sunday morning found us first in order of go in Cones as we were last in everything else up to that point. A dubious honor. We were doing reasonably well up to gate 19 where I went thru 5 instead which was right beside 19. I didn't even know I had done it. Was told afterward so I was of course eliminated. I also now realize that I should have had her trotting in preparation for the cones as then she would have been really hyped up and trucking when we entered the cones. Oh well, next time. If we hadn't had driver error tho, I think we would have placed in cones. Another Fjord owner, Maggie McLaughlin, from Bend, OR, had a Puddle Jumper and the 5th wheel had fallen out during the Marathon Sat so I offered her my Pacific Dartmoor for the Cones competition. (Fjord folks stick together) It ended up that her Fjordhorse, Hannah, a lovely girl, (notice I don't say "Pony") also wore Boombah's harness and she competed in the Prelim Cones. Anyway, Maggie and her gator, Mary, are very nice and I am very happy to have met them. I watched some of the Cones competition. But was led aside and told gently that I couldn't be in the Officials Section. I apologized as I was ignorant of the protocal. When Maggie finished, I packed up and drove home. A great learning experience. I'm so glad I went. Someone took movies with my camcorder of my Dressage and Cones so I have something to watch as I study the judges comments. I love CDE competition. And I'm loving the journey toward improvement. And I love my little horse. This is the longest email I've ever written. ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
